Cutting Sheet Metal

Fabrication involves a variety of skills, techniques and tools. When it comes to sheet metal fabrication, this centuries old trade has many different equipment to achieve the goal of shaping, forming and joining metal. Whether the Cleveland company needs to create or reproduce a part or repair a component, cutting the metal sheets may be involved.

Essential Cutting Tools

Tools involved in the cutting process of metal sheets vary in skill and technique. They also differ as to power source. For those who are cutting material as part of a DIY project, industrial equipment may be far too expensive. They will probably utilize and of the following hand operated, low-tech tools:

However, for commercial enterprises and large manufacturing concerns in Cleveland, the cutting must be swift, accurate and not labor-intensive. Manufacturing concerns and fabricators rely on several types of equipment to ensure they can cut the metal sheets precisely. In modern enterprises, the use of technology has resulted in various extents of automation. Among the most popular means of automating a system entirely is through the use of computers. With equipment, this involves CNC or computer numeric control. Software programs combine with the computer to control the various machinery in a shop, including shearing tools.

CNC shearing (cutting) tools vary in cost, effectiveness and capabilities. The equipment they rely on includes:

* CNC Laser Cutting Machinery: A laser cutter is favored for its ability to deliver high quality products at a rapid rate. This computerized piece of cutting equipment is perfectly suited for cutting rounded forms and shapes. Unlike manual cutting equipment, this machine is consistent in the types of cuts it produces ad does so with little time required for set up

* CNC Plasma Cutting Table: When it comes time to cutting thin or thick pieces of sheet metal, some companies turn to plasma cutters. These systems are precise and cut pieces consistently and rapidly, requiring little clean-up time. While laser is great for round shapes, plasma systems are excellent for cutting straight, long cuts

These basic automatic tools are the ones a company may employ in the cutting of metal sheets.

Fabricating Sheet Metal

Shearing or cutting is one-step in the fabrication process. While some companies in Cleveland may only require the cutting of the metal, others usually request more. It takes a lot of skill and the use of various techniques and tools to ensure the product emerges correctly. Only when the fabrication understands the specifications required can it produce sheet metal that matches the demands of its clients.